An Epic Food Science Event

From its sprawling stockyards and meatpacking operations in the 1800s to its current array of Fortune 500 food companies and trendsetting culinary scene, Chicago has a storied history as a hub for food and beverage innovation. Expect to see at least a few new chapters in that narrative unfold next month when IFT16: Where Science Feeds Innovation opens its doors in the McCormick Place South exhibition center.

IFT16 will bring about 23,000 food industry professionals from around the globe to the city from Saturday to Tuesday, July 16–19, for four days of boundary-breaking food science. More than 1,000 exhibitors will showcase ingredients, technologies, and equipment at the IFT16 food expo. Leading scientific thinkers will offer insights in featured lectures. And hundreds of presenters from academia, government, and industry will share ideas in scientific and applied sessions. In addition to all of this, IFT16 will supply countless opportunities to make connections with a veritable who’s who of professionals dedicated to the science of food.

Come Early, Learn More
So much to learn, and so little time to fit it all in. Well, IFT has a solution for that problem: a series of short but substantive courses that take place just before the start of the annual event. Specifically, 11 short courses covering a broad array of topics will be offered at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago, Thursday to Saturday, July 14–16.

Here’s what’s on tap for 2016: Preventive Controls for Human Food, Excelling as a Manager or Supervisor, Certified Food Scientist Prep Course, Commercialization of Nonthermal Technologies: Challenges and Advances, Drivers of Liking: Principles and Applications, Flavor Interactions in Foods, Food Science for the Non-Food Scientist, Clean Label Product Innovation, Labeling Requirements and Implications for Foods Marketed in the U.S., Microencapsulation in Food Applications, and How to Become a Better Communicator.

Short course participants consistently give them high marks. Last year 500 food industry professionals took short courses, and 93% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of the courses. Get more information at bit.ly/IFT16_short_courses.

Accolades for IFT Achievers
Some of IFT’s highest-achieving members will be recognized on Saturday, July 16. First, in a special ticketed Fellows Recognition Forum event, 12 members will be honored with the Fellows designation, which recognizes exemplary contributions to the field of food science and technology. The Fellows Recognition Forum will take place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., IFT’s 2016 Achievement Award recipients will be recognized during an Awards Celebration in the S100 ballroom of McCormick Place. This celebration is open to all IFT16 attendees. Seventeen awards will be presented this year, including IFT’s highest honor, the Nicolas Appert Award.

A Welcome Reception from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the S100 ballroom will help set the stage for the days ahead, providing those who attend with an opportunity to enjoy camaraderie, conversation, music, appetizers, and drinks.

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Thought-Provoking Featured Sessions
Sensationalism, scaremongering, ignorance, irrational thinking, and pseudoscience are among the topics that featured session presenters will explore during IFT16 presentations designed to foster a dialogue on important scientific issues.

South African academic Jacques Rousseau, a lecturer in critical thinking and business ethics at the University of Cape Town, will get the first full day of the annual event off to a strong start with a presentation titled “Science Versus Sensationalism and Soundbites: How Can Consumers Make More Informed Choices?” Rousseau will speak from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday, July 17, in the S100 ballroom in McCormick Place.

Rousseau chairs the Academic Freedom Committee at the University of Cape Town and is the chairman of the Free Society Institute, an organization he founded to promote secular humanism and scientific reasoning in South Africa. A regular contributor to public debates in the South African media on politics, science, and morality, Rousseau will share his perspective on the reasons why people fear innovation and discuss ways to better equip consumers with the knowledge and resources they need in order to evaluate scientific claims and to make more informed decisions. His presentation will incorporate examples of technological innovation in food to help illustrate the distinguishing features of good science, pseudoscience, and effective ethical science communication.

Later on Sunday, award-winning writer, broadcaster, and physician Ben Goldacre, who specializes in debunking unreliable scientific claims, will bring his insights to the IFT16 audience. Goldacre will speak from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Sunday in McCormick Place’s S100 ballroom in a featured session titled “Telling the Story of Science in an Age of Misunderstanding.” Goldacre’s book Bad Science has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. His talk will zero in on examples of ill-informed sources misusing statistics to mislead the general public. Essentially, he will use examples of bad science to illustrate how good science really works. The author of several books, Goldacre completed his medical education in Oxford and London and currently works as an academic in epidemiology.

On Monday, July 18, IFT16 attendees will have the chance to begin their day with a close-up look into the minds of consumers. A consumer panel session titled “Consumers Share Their Clean Label Buying Habits” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the McCormick Place S100 ballroom. In this session, moderator Paul Metz, executive vice-president of C+R Research, will lead a group of consumers in a discussion designed to allow the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which consumers make clean label grocery shopping decisions. Those who attend will also gain a national perspective on where the clean label trend is headed and how this insight can be applied to business. In addition, a video highlight reel illustrating consumers’ actual shopping experiences will add interest and texture to the session.

In the fourth featured session of the annual event, international policy specialist Bev Postma will deliver a presentation titled “Taming Dragons in the Age of Pseudoscience.” Her lecture from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Monday, July 18, in the S100 ballroom of McCormick Place, will address the rise of the pseudoscientist in the digital media world and explore the broader cultural implications of that trend. Postma launched Asia’s first nonprofit industry platform for the food and beverage sector and served as executive director of Food Industry Asia. She also founded the Asia Roundtable on Food Innovation for Improved Nutrition.

Information-Rich Scientific Sessions
Envision an environment of intensive knowledge sharing spanning three days and topics ranging from natural colors to nanotechnology. That’s what the IFT16 program of scientific and applied sessions will deliver in dozens of presentations each day from Sunday to Tuesday, July 17–19.

The schedule of scientific sessions that will greet IFT16 attendees comes together only after many months of session proposal review and evaluation by IFT volunteers. “The scientific advisory committee has selected exceptional symposia, which will present the current trends and research, emerging applications, and latest regulations,” says Gretchen Gutierrez, technical director, Northland Laboratories, who chaired the scientific session selection panel. “These sessions will engage food scientists and expand their wealth of knowledge. With 176 submissions this year, our reviewers were put to the task, and we are grateful for the work they put into reviewing these high-quality abstracts. We are very excited about the 2016 programming.

“Our reviewers were diligent in their ratings and feedback, which produces stronger technical sessions,” Gutierrez continues. “IFT is one of a very select group of organizations that provides a thorough review process of the technical symposia abstracts before selection.”

While it’s true that the breadth and depth of the sessions offered can make choosing which ones to attend difficult, they are categorized within a framework of 12 topic-based tracks, and the IFT16 online session planner helps simplify schedule planning by sorting them according to various filters. IFT’s scientific sessions provide an added benefit for Certified Food Scientists, who can earn credits toward recertification by attending them. This year’s scientific education programming will also include pop-up sessions, which will take place after several of the most popular education sessions and will allow attendees to gather and interact with peers, continuing the scientific conversation launched within the session.

In addition to the scientific sessions, the IFT16 educational agenda will feature more than 700 printed technical research paper poster presentations and 140 ePosters. Here’s a closer look at some of the highlights of the IFT16 educational programming.

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• ePoster Sessions. 30 ePoster sessions held during the course of IFT16 in room S406B of McCormick Place will offer attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest research in specific areas of food science. Each ePoster session has a research theme and consists of 15-minute ePoster presentations followed by five minutes for questions after each presentation. ePosters will be presented by the primary author of the abstract.

• IFT16 Genomics Day. Those who are intrigued by the subject of genomics will be pleased to learn that Monday, July 18, has been designated as Genomics Day at IFT16. Sessions focused on genomics and how to eliminate the mystique surrounding the topic will take place in room N427D of McCormick Place. The day will start with a session on Genomics 101 followed by sessions that explore themes including spoilage, food safety, and specific product applications.

• Hot Topics. Want to stay up to speed on some of the most current topics related to food technology, food science research, and future trends, often while gaining a global perspective? If so, then Hot Topics sessions are for you. The 2016 hot topics include high pressure processing, current innovations in food quality and safety, designing emotion into food products to create long-term consumer appeal, clean label, and the latest developments in industry trends and fads.

• Teaching & Learning Sessions. These sessions, which will be held in room S401AB of McCormick Place, have been planned to provide academics with practical examples of effective teaching practices as well as opportunities to network with fellow faculty members. Sessions zero in on best practices, current research, case studies, and more. The lineup of IFT16 topics includes how to teach controversial issues in the food industry, educational models for teaching food safety risk communication, using industry experience to enhance curriculums, and training programs such as regulatory affairs and food safety experts for a global economy.

• Fennema Lectureship and Workshop. The 2016 Fennema Lecturer is Tyler DeWitt, an educator, research scientist, and digital content creator who is committed to changing current approaches to science education. Speaking from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Monday, July 18, in room S401AB, DeWitt will discuss new developments in STEM education. He will consider some of the ways in which technology is changing higher education, such as crowd teaching, flipped classroom approaches, and digital feedback and assessment mechanisms, and offer practical examples of ways in which instructors can incorporate these approaches. The workshop that follows from 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. will supply those who attend with hands-on exposure to a variety of new instructional styles.

Great Expo Expectations
With 1,100 exhibitors covering 260,000 square feet of exhibit space at the IFT16 food expo, it doesn’t take a numbers persons to calculate the scope of the event. It’s big, so expect to be impressed. Anticipate a bit of sensory overload as well. Exhibitors do their best to enrich the expo experience for attendees, and that often takes the form of palate-pleasing product prototypes. Some exhibitors rotate their menus, offering a different array of product samples for each of the three days of the expo. This year as of Food Technology press time, more than 100 exhibitors had shared their sampling plans.

What’s new at this year’s expo? The answer to that question is “lots.” A New Exhibitors Pavilion will provide a central location for 72 companies that are making their food expo debut. Another new addition is the On Trend display, which will showcase innovative products or services related to five major industry trends: proteins, gluten-free, food safety, health and wellness, and clean and clear labeling. It will be located in booth 2242 on the show floor.

There’s also a new dining option at this year’s expo because despite the abundant supply of food samples available from exhibitors, it’s nice to be able to sit down for a healthy lunch. The IFT Bistro dining area on the show floor will feature comfortable seating and a variety of tasty and healthful menu options. It’s the perfect place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of food expo activity or to conduct a lunchtime meeting.

As much fun as the food expo is—and almost everyone seems to agree that it is a fun experience—attendees come to the annual event with a well-defined business agenda. The average event participant spends more than eight hours on the expo floor and interacts with more than 80 suppliers. More than eight out of 10 food expo attendees (86%) make or influence their companies’ buying decisions.

Food expo hours are from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 18, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19. Here’s a preview of some additional food expo highlights.

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• IFT Booth. Include a stop at the IFT booth (3884) to learn more about the resources IFT has to offer and have questions answered by staff members.

• Expo Innovation Awards. Winners of the annual Food Expo Innovation Awards competition will be recognized at IFT16. This annual competition invites industry innovators that are exhibiting at the food expo to submit products, technologies, ingredients, instrumentation, equipment, or services for award consideration by a panel of expert judges. This year’s competition drew 46 entries.

• Innova Pavilion. A visit to the Innova Market Insights pavilion (booth 2884) is a must for showgoers. The company, which has a global network that tracks new product introductions in more than 75 countries and nearly 30 food and beverage product categories, always stages an expansive, attention-getting display of innovative products from around the globe. Those who stop by the pavilion will also have the opportunity to converse with members of the Innova Market Insights team of food and beverage analysts and tap into their expertise in areas including packaging, technology, ingredients, and market trends, both informally and during a series of formal presentations.

• Mintel Pavilion. The Mintel Intelligence Zone (booth 4953) will be home base for a number of the market intelligence company’s food and beverage industry analysts during IFT16. Innovative food and beverage products, trends, and food science presentations will be highlighted. Mintel experts will present sessions titled “Eat With Your Eyes,” “Simple Isn’t So Simple,” and “What Does Product Innovation Really Look Like?” throughout the course of the food expo. Always a go-to source of market information, Mintel offers a market intelligence mix that incorporates data, market research and analysis, competitive intelligence, product intelligence, and analytical expertise.

• Cooking Up Science. A crowd favorite, Cooking Up Science treats food expo attendees to the opportunity to watch expert chefs prepare exciting menu items using ingredients from participating food expo exhibitors. Watch for the schedule closer to IFT16.

• Food Expo Forum. Located in booth 4986, the Food Expo Forum will be the site for student competitions, education sessions, and presentations by exhibitors.

• Specialty Pavilions. Exhibitors whose products relate to specific themes are grouped together on the show floor under the banner of those themes. In addition to the New Exhibitors Pavilion, the 2016 roster of specialty pavilions includes the Healthy Food Pavilion, Organic Pavilion, Beverage Pavilion, Food Safety Pavilion, and China Pavilion.

Specifically for Students
The annual event is a major learning opportunity for IFT’s student members, and a long list of competitions, social events, and educational options designed to help students hone their skills, gain new knowledge, and enjoy themselves will be offered.

Students looking for a place to relax, meet up with peers, and pick up some Official Food Geek swag will find the perfect spot for all of that in the IFT Student Association (IFTSA) Lounge in room S404A at McCormick Place. The Student Lounge will be open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 16; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 17; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 18; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19.

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• Thesis Video Competition. A new addition to the lineup of activities for students, the IFTSA Thesis Video Competition sponsored by Campden BRI invited food science graduate students to submit a three-minute video focusing on the student’s original research. The winner of the competition, who will be recognized at the IFTSA Closing Ceremony on Monday, July 18, will be awarded a visit of approximately 10 days to food research organization Campden BRI in the United Kingdom. The competition finalists include Amadeus Driando Ahnan of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Maridel Reyes of Pennsylvania State University, and Abbey Thiel of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Poster judging will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 16, and oral presentations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 18.

• First-Timers Session. Students who are attending the annual event for the first time will receive valuable tips for navigating it in this session that begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 16, in the Student Lounge in McCormick Place.

• Division Poster Competition. Winners of the annual division poster competition will be recognized in the Phi Tau Sigma (ΦΤΣ) and IFT Division Poster Competition Awards Ceremony that begins at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at McCormick Place.

• Chapter Leaders Workshops. Incoming chapter presidents for university food science clubs will have the opportunity to receive leadership training in workshops that take place on three days during IFT16. Advance registration is required.

• Excellence in Leadership Award. This award will be presented to two student members, one undergraduate and one graduate student, each of whom has demonstrated exemplary leadership in support of IFT’s mission, during the Awards Ceremony that takes place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, in the S100 ballroom of McCormick Place.

• Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition. This annual competition, now in its eighth year, promotes the development of new products and processes that will improve the quality of life for people in developing nations. For the 2016 competition, participants were asked to develop a product to help increase the intake of calcium among women in the Middle East or North Africa. Two winners—one from a group of international finalists and the other from a pool composed of teams from universities in the United States or Canada—will be announced in Chicago. The international finalists include Universidad de Costa Rica with a product called Hamilk and two teams from Bogor Agricultural University, one with Sun-Ami and the other with Creve. In the United States/Canada division, the finalists are California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with Calihasa, McGill University with Fitamin Multimeal, and Rutgers University with MagiCal. Oral presentations for the competition will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 17. The competition is sponsored by Tate & Lyle.

• Disney–IFTSA Product Development Competition. In this competition, teams of student product developers are challenged to come up with a delicious and nutritious snack product targeted to children aged 10 and younger that includes at least a half serving of a fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy product, or whole grains. At IFT16, competition judges will select one grand prize winner, one first place winner, and three honorary prize recipients. The finalist teams this year include the following: California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with BB-8 Bites, Pennsylvania State University with Rey’s Rations Jakku Juice Orbs, Rutgers University with BB8 Light Bites, the University of Massachusetts Amherst with Elsa’s Oat Flurries, and the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez with Droidsicles. Oral presentations are scheduled from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 18. The competition is sponsored by Disney Consumer Products.

• IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition. Now in its 26th year, this annual competition requires participating teams to come up with a new food concept and carry it through production and marketing similar to the commercial product development process. The teams that will vie for top honors at IFT16 include the following: Cornell University with BanaNut Bites, McGill University with Rephyll, Michigan State University with YerBagel, Pennsylvania State University with Garden Poppers, University of Wisconsin–Madison with Qeen-Yos, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with Faux Pho. The oral presentation phase of the competition will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, followed by poster presentations from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. that day. The competition is sponsored by Mars Chocolate North America.

• Undergraduate Research Competition. Six finalists will compete for first, second, and third place recognition in Chicago, sharing oral and poster presentations that describe their original research projects. The six students who have made it to the final rounds of the competition are Adam Castillo from Texas Tech University, Jorge Franco from Texas Tech University, Sara Scinto from Ohio Wesleyan University, Menghan Shi from The Ohio State University, Genevieve Sullivan from Cornell University, and Samantha Van Wees from Cornell University.

• College Bowl Competition. The competition is always fierce but friendly in this annual team rivalry, which tests participants on their knowledge of food science and technology, the history of food and food processing, food law, and general IFT and food-related trivia.

Eight finalist teams, chosen in regional competitions around the country, will be challenged in multiple rounds of double elimination competition until a winner emerges. The final match-up phase of the competition will take place during the IFTSA Closing Ceremony from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, July 18. The 2016 finalists and the regions they represent are as follows: North Carolina State University, Central Atlantic; Purdue University, Midwest; Cornell University, North Atlantic; University of Wisconsin–Madison, North Central; University of California, Davis, Pacific Northwest; California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Pacific Southwest; Texas A&M University, South Central; and Mississippi State University, Southeast.

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• IFTSA Mixer. The energy is always high, and the atmosphere fun-filled, at this annual social event, which is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, July 18, at the Palmer House Hilton. The IFTSA Mixer is sponsored by PepsiCo.

• IFTSA Closing Ceremony. Taking place immediately after the mixer, the closing ceremony begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 18, at the Palmer House Hilton. The closing ceremony agenda is a full one; student competition winners will be announced, the championship rounds of the College Bowl Competition will be held, and IFTSA leadership will be introduced.

• IFTSA Networking Party. Students are invited to keep the socializing and networking going as the busy schedule of Monday, July 18, draws to a close. The IFTSA Networking Party will take place from 10 p.m. to midnight at Fado Irish Pub, 100 W. Grand Ave., Chicago. This event is open to those 21 and older.

Also on the IFT16 Agenda
• Emerging Leaders Network. Formerly known as Lead 360, the Emerging Leaders Network is a leadership development experience that identifies and invests in a group of talented young professionals from around the globe. Participants will enhance and expand their leadership skills, gaining abilities that will better position them to advance the food science profession. This year’s agenda has been significantly revamped so that it incorporates the best features from previous events with brand-new elements. Back by popular demand are a Career Insights Panel and Food Communicators Workshop. New this year are tracks developed specifically for industry and academic professionals. Another feature of the event is a mentoring program featuring five new professionals who will serve as peer mentors to Emerging Leaders Network participants.

• New Professionals Mixer. Those who have been in the profession for a decade or less are invited to socialize in the hip, casual environment of Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St., Chicago, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 17. The mixer is presented by the IFT New Professionals workgroup and sponsored by PureCircle.

• Division Networking Reception. Connect with all 24 of IFT’s divisions and their leaders in one place at this free speed networking event on Monday, July 18, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Grand Concourse Lobby of McCormick Place. The reception will feature an open bar, appetizers, and a fun social media contest. Attendees at the event can have their picture taken with a Polaroid camera. They will then stick the photo to a large board where they can “connect” themselves to other people’s pictures with string. Everyone is welcome to attend; no ticket is required.

• Career Center Live. Professional opportunities will be the focus of Career Center Live, which combines informal networking opportunities for job seekers and employers as well as formal, prescheduled interviews for jobs. The informal networking will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, in Room S406A of McCormick Place. The interviews, which are by appointment only via IFT’s online Career Center and will be held in private booths, will take place on Monday, July 18, and Tuesday, July 19. Each year Career Center Live draws dozens of leading food industry employers.

• Certified Food Scientist Lounge. Certified Food Scientists (CFS) as well as anyone interested in learning more about the CFS credential are invited to stop by this lounge in room N231 in McCormick Place.

• Get an Insider’s View. In addition to all the learning that takes place on-site at McCormick Place and the Palmer House Hilton, IFT offers several options for those in town for IFT16 to add some off-site, “real world” food science experiences via a series of technical field trips on Monday, July 18, and Tuesday, July 19. Advance registration is required for technical field trip participation. All trips depart from McCormick Place.

Monday’s options include a visit to Knechtel, a full-service international food and pharmaceutical consultancy, in the morning, and, in the afternoon, a trip to Imbibe, a company that offers a unique integrated approach to beverage product development. Tuesday’s choices include a trip to the Institute for Food Safety and Health at Illinois Institute of Technology Moffett Campus facilities in the morning. The Tuesday afternoon option is a tour of the rooftop garden developed by SAVOR, McCormick Place’s foodservice provider, in conjunction with the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest urban agriculture program.

Looking Forward to Las Vegas
Although all eyes are currently turned toward Chicago and focused on IFT16, many plans have already been made for IFT17, which will take place in Las Vegas. The dates for the 2017 annual event are June 25–28. It’s not too early to start looking forward to it.

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Register for IFT16
Learn more about IFT16 or get registered at ift.org/IFT16.

Smart Strategies for Staying Informed at IFT16
• Tap into the app. Make the most of your time at the annual event by downloading the free event app (IFT16). The app is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android users and in HTML format.

• Stay in the loop with IFT16 News. The Food Technology editorial team will be busy throughout the annual event, covering scientific sessions, late-breaking expo news, and more for the official show e-daily. So be sure to check out the coverage in IFT16 News, which will be distributed daily via email and will also be available online at ift.org/IFT16News.

Counting Down to the Fun Run
Ready, set, go! The annual IFTSA and Feeding Tomorrow Fun Run & Walk will take place on Monday, July 18, during IFT16 in Chicago’s scenic Burnham Park beginning at 6 a.m. This annual 5K fundraising race will take runners on a scenic route along Lake Michigan. Rain or shine, proceeds from the event will support the IFT student scholarship fund.

Register for the race at ift.org/IFT16. Race participants may pick up their packets at the Fun Run booth in the registration area of McCormick Place. The first 650 participants to do so will receive a tech race T-shirt, timing chip, and race bag.

Those who aren’t inclined to get up early and take part in the race can donate $35 and receive a Fun Run T-shirt. Donations may also be made at the Fun Run booth or by visiting feedingtomorrow.org.

IFT member Bruce Ferree, a dedicated supporter of the Fun Run cause (he’s raised $24,000 over nine years), will be taking part again this year. Ferree is also running a seven-day, 250-kilometer race across the Chilean desert this fall with a goal of raising $100,000 for Feeding Tomorrow food science scholarships. More information about that initiative can found at gofundme.com/foodsciencerun. To help raise awareness for that endeavor, Ferree plans to run on a treadmill in the registration area of McCormick Place on Sunday, July 17.

IFT Cares Debuts Virtual Food Drive
Providing 20,000 meals for people in need is the goal of the 2016 IFT Cares campaign. The eight-year-old philanthropic program in which IFT partners with the local Feeding America network food bank will take a new form this year—a virtual food and fundraising drive to support the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

In prior years, IFT Cares volunteers have worked to sort and pack food at local food banks, assist with mobile pantries, and receive and distribute deliveries at participating Feeding America network agencies. An IFT organizer explains that while these activities have been popular, the number of available volunteer slots is limited. In order to increase participation and provide more support for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, this year’s program is moving online. Donors may shop online, choosing the products they want to contribute from an assortment that includes canned goods, produce, protein, dairy products, pasta, rice, cereal, and grains, placing them in a virtual shopping cart, and then checking out online.

IFT Cares supporters also have the option of making an online contribution. The campaign will continue through Aug. 31, 2016.

In addition, attendees at the annual event may donate nonperishable items on-site. Collection bins will be located at the entrances to the show floor. To shop or give online, go to myfooddrive.org/drive.php?IFTCares.

Mary Ellen Kuhn is executive editor of Food Technology magazine ([email protected]).